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y l UNITED STATES- Parnu:LOzo

JAMES E. BERING, OF DEGATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHAMBERS,

BEBING 85 QUINLAN, lOF SAME PLAGE.

t CORN-PLANNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of -Letters Patent No. 272,404, dated February 20, 1883.

y Application died October 11. 1882. (Model.) Y

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES EDWARD Bria- ING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Decatur, county of Macon, State of Iliinois, have invented certain ew and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, sufficient to enable 'others skilled in the art to which said inveution appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a plan view, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 3 is a detail view, of a machine embodying my improve-v ments.'

,i The invention relates to corn-planters, and

more especially does it relate to that class of corn-planters wherein a knotted check-row wire or cord that stretches across the field is made to actuate the seeding mechanism of the planter automatically and at regular intervals through the medium of certain devices usually mounted upon the planter as attachments thereto.

The invention consists of certain improvements in the construction and combination of these devices or attachments, substantially as hereinafter described, and particularly defined in claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters designate like parts, A represents the ordinary har attached transversely to the plantin g-machine, and carrying at its ends the headbars A' A'. The head-bars have at their front ends the usual guide-pulleys c and projecting fingers a', and near their rear ends have two upright arms or standards, A3, between which are journaled the guide-pulleys a3, an extension of one of the arms A3 serving to support the journal of guide-pulley a3 while the other of said arms A3 bears the projecting finger a". These several pulleys and tin gers, as well understood, serve to sustain the knotted check-row cord or wire B in position to actuate the forked lever C and to prevent the lateral displacement of the cord or wire by reason of any devious course or sudden jolting of the machine as it traverses the field. The 'lever C is pivoted to thehead-bar A', as at c, a recoil-spring, c', be-

ing attached to the lower end of the lever and to the head-bar, respectively, so that after the knot b of the cord B has passed free from the Hfork of the lever (see dotted lines, Fig. 3) the lever will be returned again quickly to its rest a5, projecting from the bar A', and be in readiness to catch the next knot of the cord.

Pivotally joined to a lug or projection of the lever C, as at c3, is a pitman, C', having at its opposite end a crosshead, c3, which embraces and reciprocates inthe elevated ways or bearings a formed in the head-bar A'.

To the rear end of the-head-bar A' is pivoted a rock-plate or bell-crank lever D, as at d, which said plate carries the pawls D' D', loosely pivoted thereto,v as at d', these pawls being sustained at their front ends by the guards d3, which are bent over and ride upon the straight parallel tracks d3, proj ectiu g above the head-bar A. The pawls D' are curved slightly' downward on their under side, as at d5, and each terminates in a somewhat enlarged straight face, as at d3, against which the crossheads c3 may snugly abut Iwhen reciprocated.

Projecting laterally from the inner side of each pawl D' are the overlapping cams d4, made substantially of doubleconvex slope in crosssection, and adapted to bear against each other, as hereinafter described.

To the forward arm of the rocker-plate D there is pivoted, as at e, a connecting-rod, E, which, at lts opposite end, is pivoted to the bent crank-arm F' of a sector gear-wheel, F, pivotally mounted, as atf, on a stud projecting from a plate,`Gr, attached to the transverse bar A. A studpin, h, projecting from `the plate G, journals a pinion, H,whicl1 meshes with the sector-wheel F, and has its. gear-teeth equalin number to those of said wheel. v

To a wrist-pin, hf, projecting above tbe pinion H, is pivoted the connecting-rod I, the other end of which may be bent, as at t', to enter a perforation in the upper end of lever K, said lever having its fulcrum-pin K on an arm or bracket, K', projecting from the lower side of thel transverse bar A, and engaging by pin K3, secured near its lower end, with the bifurcated arm l of the reciprocatiu g bar L, that connects with and operates the seed-slides in the hoppers M.

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The several parts being constructed and arranged as hereinhefore described and the machine in readiness to traverse the field, the check-row cord or wire B is arranged in position, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it shall be received witlin the fork of the lever G. As the knots b upon the cord or wire meet the forward or forked end ofthe leverG in succession, they force said end of the lever backward about its pivot c, and in consequence the pitman G' is carried back with said lever, the cross-head C3 of the pitman moving evenly in the ways c, and abutting against the straight face d ot' that pawl, D', which chances to be at the forward end of the tracks d3. Said pawl D is in turn forced backward, thus causing the plate D to osciilate aboutits axis d, moving thereby the connecting-rod E, sector and pinion gear F H, rod I, lever K, bar L, and seed-slides in hoppers M. During the period that the pawl D' is being forced backward by operation of the pitman C to oscillate the plate D its fellow pawl, D', on said plate is being advanced thereby to an cxtreme forward position in the tracks d3, whereupon, as the pawls near each other, the cam d4, attached to thc advancing pawl, overrides the cam di ofthe receding pawl, and thus lifts said advancing pawl so that its face r1.6 freely clears the cross-head c3, and no obstruct-ion or locking of the parts occurs. The bentguard d2 of the pawl allows the same to be lifted, as described, without risk of displacing said pawl from position on the track d3. The knot b on cord B having carried the lever O backward so far that thc fork of the lever no longer retains the knot, but allows it to slip away freely, the lever is quickly returned again to its original position by action of the spring c', (full lines, Fig. 2,) and with it returns the pitman C', the cross-head c3 of which, when it meets the down curve d5 of the forward pawl, D', lifting said pawl and dropping it again abruptly when it has cleared the front end of the pawl, so that the straight face d thereof sha-ll be snugly in position and abutting squarely against the cross-head c3, preparatory for the return stroke.

The present invention is designed as an improvement upon Letters Patent No. 207,251, issued to XV. B. Chambers and T. E. Bering, August 20, 1878, and differs therefrom in essential particulars, viz: the forked lever C is made to reciprocate the pitman C', as heretofore described, in lieu ot' operating a rock-shaft and tappet, as inthe older construction. The pitman is at the end of its backward stroke about the time the lever C reaches a perpendicular position, and hence,ifthe knot b should slip away from the fork prematurely at this stage, the slide-bar L will yethave been opera-ted to its full throw, and even planting of the corn be thus assured; whereas iu the older form it was necessary that the forked lever should be rocked backward by the knotted cord or wire much farther than just stated, otherwise the tappet would not throw the pawls a full stroke, and the seeding be correspondinglyimperfect. Suchimperfectionmust necessarily result at times it', for any reason, the cord were to slip away prematurely from the clasp of the forked lever. The relation of pitman-pivot c2 to the forked lever-pivot c is such that, as already stated, the pitman accomplishes its full throw shortly after the forked lever passes the vertical. Oonsequentl y, during the rest of the backward movement of the forked lever, the cross-head of the pitman stands practically at rest in the ways and meets no further resistance from the pawls rock-plate, pinion, Ste. It is plain that the strain on the forked lever, as on the knotted cord, is thereby relieved much earlier than was possible in the older form of machine. Again, hy having the sector 'and pinion gear G H distinct from the rock-plate D, instead of being a part thereof, as heretofore, more freedom in movement is secured, .at the same time the locking ot' the seed-slides in hopper M against accidental jars or strains is maintained, for, as to this latter, it will be noted that when the sector-wheel F has rotated pinion H in either direction, at the end of the mcvementthe conuectingrod I will be at its dead-point with respect to wrist-pin It', so that lever K, reciproeating bar L, and seedslides are immovably held and not to be operated, except as sectorwheel F acts through the medium of rocker plate D, pawls D', and ptman C' to rotate pinion H reversely again through one-half revolution. The loss of seed through accidentaldisplacement of thev slides is thereby guarded against.

Not restricting myself to the precise details of structure herein set forth, and having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a check-row cornplanter, the combination, with the forked lever and with a pivoted pitman having a cross-head sustained in gnideways, of the parallel reciprocating pawls and a rock-plate, the relation of the parts being such that the strain on the forked lever is relieved shortly after the pitman has passed the vertical. substantially as described.

2. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination,with the rock-plate and sector and pinion gear, of aconnecting-rodjoining said plate and gear, the seed-slide lever, and a connecting-rod joining the same to the gear, substantially as described.

3. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination, with forked lever C and with pitman C', having a cross-head, c3, mounted in ways, a, of the reciprocating pawls D', pivoted to rock-plate D and provided with the guards d2 and overlapping cams d4, substantially as described.

4. In a check-row attachmentfor corn-planters, the combination, with a lever to receive the check-row wire or cord, of a pitma-n, reciprocating pawls, a rock-plate, a sector and pinion gear, and a lever to operate the seed- IIO :1:72AM N fs c ontraeks of said heafl-bar, and a rock-plate 1c:

slides, the gear being severally joined to the pivoted thereto, substantially as described.

plate and seed-slide lever by suitable connecting-rods, all substantially as set forth. 1n testimonyr whereof I have hereunto set 5. In acheck-row attachment for corn-plant- E my hand this 7th day of October, 1882. 5 ers, the combination, with the head-bar having JAMES EDWARD BERING the usual guides for the Wire or cord, of a forked lever, a pitman pivoted thereto and Witnesses:

carrying a cross-head to engage with Ways in J ULIUS BROEHL, l said head-bar, reciprocating pawls sustained W. E. HENKLE. 

